Filks
by clicketykeys
Summary: WOW, things have been moving fast! 4 - "Gimme Gimme Gimme," a peek at the spiral into darkness on Nar Shaddaa. 5 - "Dreams of Flight," stepping outside the Republic to spend some time with Vette. 6 - "How to Love," Corso/Vacy fluffiness.
1. Flandoria

**"Flandoria"**

* * *

Author's Note:

First, you need to go to youtube and watch video ID [6A35rHifDG8] It's a song called "Sweet Violets."

No, seriously, watch that. And LISTEN. You have to hear the way the lyrics fit the music for it to make ANY sense!

This is a song that I learned from my mommy and daddy back when I was, like, eight. I know there are other versions of it that raunch things up a bit, but the one in the youtube vid is the one I'm most familiar with, and it's pretty tame. The version below is... less so... ;)

An EXTRA-special thanks to Sera for giving me the idea in the first place. She mentioned Corso and Viggota going out drinking and then staggering back to the ship singing naughty songs. But I was like, you know, Corso is SO white-bread! I just can't imagine him saying anything that was _actually naughty._ And then I remembered "Sweet Violets," and ... well, this happened!

* * *

Second Author's Note:

Flandoria are common wildflowers from the Flandor system. The blossoms of the flower were used to decorate the floats used in the Shaldania Parade on Coruscant. They were known for their fragrance. Special thanks to Sera for ALSO finding a flower type I could use!

Ready? Okay, here we go! Cue up the music and SING ALONG!

* * *

Flandoria!  
Sweeter than any perfume!  
Covered all over from head to toe  
Covered all over with  
Flandoria!

There once was a soldier who took a young miss  
Behind the cantina and gave her a  
Lecture on guns, introductory class.  
She had no idea he wanted her  
Input on how different pistols compare.  
He kept peeking over at her under-  
neath his clear visor, though spattered in muck.  
And wondering how much she might like a

Flandoria!  
Sweeter than any perfume!  
Covered all over from head to toe  
Covered all over with  
Flandoria!

The maiden enjoyed it but just didn't get  
Why rubbing against him had made her so  
Prone to perspire - what could that be from?  
She soon realized she was ready to  
Kidnap the soldier and go for a walk.  
She hoped he would offer to give her his

Flandoria!  
Sweeter than any perfume!  
Covered all over from head to toe  
Covered all over with  
Flandoria!

She wiggled against him, but he backed away.  
She started to wonder if he might be  
Worried she'd scream and he would face arrest.  
So she took his hand and put it on her  
Cheek so that he would know she didn't forbid  
Attention - in fact, she just wanted a

Flandoria!  
Sweeter than any perfume!  
Covered all over from head to toe  
Covered all over with  
Flandoria!

But when she said "babies," he screamed really quick!  
She worried that he had gone soft in his  
head. His reaction made her feel so blue.  
She tried to say that she just wanted a  
chance to be with him, but he turned and ran.  
She said, "Well that proves you just can't trust a

Flandoria!  
Sweeter than any perfume!  
Covered all over from head to toe  
Covered all over with  
Flandoria!


	2. How it Works, and BOOBS!

**How it Works, and "BOOBS!"  
**

* * *

Author's Note:

So first of all, I woke up and had to get a drink of water. And on the way back I was thinking about the tone of the reviews for "Flandoria" and "Here's to the Boys." People seem to like them, which is great, but also there's a tone of mildly amused/impressed confusion, so I thought I'd explain how *I* do my songfics and hopefully demystify the process. You know, like tomorrow... or over the weekend... something like that, not at 1 AM when I have to face several dozen teenagers the next day.

OH WELL.

Because this one little tiny piece of the fourth movement out of Beethoven's Ninth popped into my head and I'm like... "Bugger. That would be a perfect example." And more details started filling in, and... well... this kind of happened!

* * *

So I really love the Ninth. The part that most people are familiar with is the finale, which takes the "Freude, schoner Gotterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium" theme that's actually been flowing in and out of the whole piece, even back in the instrumental parts, and dials it up to eleven and THEN some. But the funnest part of it is heart-crushingly a part I will never get to sing, because it is a tenor solo accompanied by the men's choir: "Froh, wie seine Sonnen," and you can watch it on youtube at video G3cLCdRXLUI - go ahead, it's really short.

(Interruption: I almost listed it as my favorite part, BUT sort of it isn't because I think my favorite part is "Ihr stutz nieder, millionen. Ahnest du den Shapfer... VELT! Zuch in uberm sternen zelt?" Crap, just thinking about it is making my eyes tear up. I love the sense of hushed awe in that one line, both musically and lyrically, especially the marvelous way it contrasts with the majesty of the parts immediately before and after it. It's like - "aren't you kneeling, o you millions? Can't you feel your maker - HERE?!" and then, all whispery and amazed, "Look for him among the stars," and then passionately, "Both in the stars and yet-with! in-us!" the latter of which is NOT an accurate translation from the actual German lyrics _but the music tells me that's what _Beethoven_ meant,_ like 'holy shit, that's amazing, how the hell is it possible?!'

Absolutely masterful. Found it on youtube at rRifdGGvAF4 and now I'm crying because it's so good but even listening to it on a recording just doesn't do it justice. If you ever have the chance to go to a performance of the Ninth, do it. Or if you are a singer, or an instrumentalist, YES. There is nothing in the world like being IN this piece and having this music surround and fill you...

Okay, okay, getting back to things.]

The first thing to do is to find a connection between music and meaning. So, for "Froh," it's always, _always_ struck me as a bar song, even though when I first sung it I was too young to have gone to a bar myself! Ignore the vocal stylings from the soloist and the restrained nature of classical music and imagine a few pipes, some brass, and a big thumpy drum. Can't you hear a slightly more rollicking beat, a bit oompah-y?

You know, there's a part of me that says that's why Beethoven has this part be only the dudes - I can just picture a bunch of guys, big burly German field workers, in a tavern with their tankards and steins foaming over, clunking them on the tables on the echoes, "FROY-dig! FROY-dig!"

So for the next part, now we think about individual lyrics. In the two previous songs I've done, they've had verses and choruses with a particular meter and rhyme scheme - this one doesn't follow that as much, so I'm going to skip it, but I'll try to find an example I can post later that uses it. I find it works best to work in the patterns as I go, and I'll talk about how in the next chapter.

It helps me to have both the lyric text to look at and a recording to listen to as I'm thinking about the changes I want to make to the original to fit my re-envisioning of the song. So for this, I'm looking at a webpage that has both the German and a translation into English, so that I can think about the rhythm as well as the meaning. Which, meh, I'm gonna be changing a lot. Because what do guys sing about?

BOOBS.

Especially with how, uh, BOUNCY this song is! It's OBVIOUS that they're really singin' about titties, and very cheerfully so! So here we go - bear with me, because now it's almost two and I don't know if this is gonna be any good!

* * *

**"BOOBS!"**

Boobs!

BOOBS!

They're just so much fun

Just so much fun to squeezy

Boobs are so much FUN to squeezy

And I can not EVER get enough!

Brothers, let's salute our girls!

Brothers, let's salute our girls!

Friendly, happy, curvy, and horny!

Always curvy and horny!

Brothers, let's salute our girls!

_Brothers, let's salute our girls!_

_Friendly, happy, curvy and horny!_

_Always curvy and horny!_

Friendly

_Friendly! Friendly!_

_Always curvy... and horny!_

* * *

There were some 'cue' words I used here - fliegen means 'to fly' but in my head it scans as "Flingin'" so they're talking about flingin' the boobs around! But then that doesn't _quite_ make sense, sooo I changed to "squeezy." Also I wanted to keep 'bruder' which means 'Brothers'. 'Freudig' means 'joyful' but scans, to me, as 'friendly,' so I tried to keep that. And then when I looked back at the repeated parts, I love that they're cheering about how "friendly" their girls are... *snigger* SO IT IS DEFINITELY STAYING.

I do try to choose words and phrasing that fit the rhythm of the lines, but I didn't have to worry about rhymes for this, and that made it a lot easier. It helps if I can avoid being locked in to any particular words or phrases. Originally, the first part that came to mind was the part that I have as "Friendly, _Friendly! Friendly!_" and in my head these guys with their tankards were singing "BOO-bies! BOO-bies!" but I'd forgotten that 'freudig' was used in previous lines and I came up with a phrase that worked for both that line and the chant. So I kept that instead.

And there you have it! I left the solo parts regular and put the choral parts in italics to sort of help clarify that. Other than that, I'm glad THIS was the example I came up with in the middle of the night, because it's really short AND there's lots of repetition, so that made it a lot easier! It's now about 2:15 AM and I'm gonna post this and try to get some more sleep.

* * *

[Note for self: There's a song we dance to at our Zumba group and I'm not even sure of the title but I think it's going to be a Vacy-for-Corso late-in-game, right around the point where she realizes that she really does love him. (I don't need to spoiler-alert that, I hope!)

I think it's called "You Make Me Feel" maybe? It's the one with the line "You make me feel so... la-la-LA-LA-la!" repeated like four times as the chorus. And what's stuck in my head is that the 'la-la-la-la-la' means both "I can't find the words" and also "can't say that out loud!" like it's love-beyond-expression and playful and slightly-naughty-desire all wrapped up together. Video on youtube at HpyZEzrDf4c - though I wish I could find the one we dance to. Also, I wish I could get rid of the male vocals. :P

I'll look at that one tomorrow or over the weekend and see if it works well to look at the use of rhyme and meter.]


	3. Unbound

**"Unbound"**

* * *

www . youtube watch?v=HpyZEzrDf4c

I think everyone who plays a captain as a _character_ understands the thrill of delight that comes from stepping onto your own starship. There is a sense of freedom - like the entire galaxy is yours to explore. You could go anywhere and do whatever you like, and you're not held back by anything.

It isn't true, of course; you need food for yourself and fuel for your ship. And you probably have a crew that you need to keep safe and keep paid. But the _impression_ is still there. I've felt it myself, though I'm sure it's in a reduced sense. Most of my life I've had a home not too far from an interstate junction. And so sometimes when I'm driving down the highway, going shopping or home after visiting a friend, the thought hits me:

I could just keep going.

Now I never actually have. But I could! And it's that feeling of limitless possibility that is so intoxicating. So this song strikes me as Vacy's ode to the many boys... I mean ships... that she's loved in her life.

* * *

La la la la la  
La la na na na  
La la la la la  
La la na na na

I've been to so many worlds  
Just havin' fun  
And if things get a little too hot  
I go on the run

And if you listen you can hear me through the holocom  
In that bright white noise  
What you been missing in your life  
What you been dreaming of  
I'll be that girl  
I'll be that girl  
I'll be

Everything you want so let me take you there  
There's so much more out there past the atmosphere  
Tell me what you want so we can do just what you like

You make me feel that  
La la la la la  
You make me feel so  
La la la la la  
You make me feel that  
La la la la la  
You make me feel so  
La la la la la  
You, you make me feel that

Don't get too much closer to me  
'Cause I'll break your heart  
My love is offered up without guarantee  
So don't even start

And if I listen I can hear you through my holocom  
In that bright white noise  
What I been missing in my life  
What I been dreaming of  
You'll be that guy  
You'll be that guy  
You'll be

Everything I want so let's go get up there  
All the stars are waiting past the atmosphere  
Tell me what you want so we can do just what you like

Ooh  
Everything you know I'm flipping upside down  
Take you everywhere you know I like it loud  
Tell me what you want 'cause we can do just what you like

You make me feel that  
La la la la la  
You make me feel so  
La la la la la  
You make me feel that  
La la la la la  
You make me feel so  
La la la la la  
You make me feel, oh  
La la la la la  
You make me feel that  
La la la la la  
You make me feel so  
La la la la la  
You make me feel, oh  
La la la la la

Put your hands up  
Put your hands up  
Let the sound drop  
Let the sound drop  
Make the stars stop  
Make the stars stop

La la la la la  
La la na na na  
You make me feel that  
La la la la la  
You make me feel so  
La la la la la  
You make me feel that  
La la la la la  
You make me feel so  
La la la la la  
You make me feel, oh  
La la la la la  
You make me feel that  
La la la la la  
You make me feel so  
La la la la la  
You make me feel that  
La la la la la

* * *

Okay, so late last night I was sort of looking at this and I was pretty sure I could make it work. First of all, it has the right mood-and-meaning combination to make sense for the way Vacy feels about flight. (She refers to spending time on-planet as "being jailed.") Second, as a result, there was very little that felt like it ought to be changed.

I knew the entire first verse would have to be reworked, because (a) it's being sung by Vacy, so I'd need to genderflip it, and (b) she is NOT going all over the place looking for a boy! Some of it was easy - change "you'll" to "I'll" right before the chorus.

Also, I almost immediately noticed that "holocom" has the same rhythmic pattern as "radio." So I switched that out.

After that I stared at it a bit without any more progress so I scrolled down, haha!

I noticed the rhyme between "get up there" and "atmosphere," and I knew I could work with that. Vacy WANTS to 'get up there,' and so I played around with phrasing until I had something that fit.

Then I went back to the verses. Dude sounds SO arrogant in the original. Arrogant might work, but he also comes across as kind of pushy. That had to change. So why _does_ Vacy travel so much? "Because I can" would fit right, but I felt like there was more to it than that. And sure, it's for work, but while she professes to love money, what she really loves is the opportunities that money provides. And work doesn't fit the fun mood of the song. It's a fun song - so why not "just having fun"? It's not the whole truth, but then, Vacy isn't exactly an open person.

It also helps that 'fun' is a word with lots of rhyme options. So I go to rhymezone-dot-com and search for options to see what comes to mind. Of course, GUN jumps right out to me. I played with some possibilities for the last half of the verse, something about either causing trouble or being ready for trouble and having her gun. But I couldn't quite get the rhythm to work out, so I started looking for other options. As soon as I thought about 'run', I got the idea for "I'm on the run," which fit. After that it wasn't too hard to find something that worked for the third line - I went with the first thing that fit, though I could have used "And when the [something] start(s) closing in," or any of a number of other possibilities, since it didn't have to rhyme with the first one.

The second verse was easier to do, because once I got the idea that Vacy would try NOT to get close to anyone or anything, I kind of flipped it into a warning. She's one of the few spacers who doesn't have a special connection to her ship. It's not _that_ ship that is particularly meaningful to her; it's what the ship allows her to do. She will absolutely let it get scratched and dinged up - but she'll make sure it gets appropriate repairs so that it stays starworthy. Looking at rhyme suggestions, 'guarantee' was an easy fit for what I was looking for. The rest of the verse fell easily into place.

After that I just tweaked a few things here and there to make sure that the meaning stayed consistent.


	4. Gimme Gimme Gimme (Nar Shaddaa Magic)

**"Gimme Gimme Gimme (Some Nar Shaddaa Magic)"**

* * *

(youtube watch?v=3wCK6INQcHs) - Yes. Listen to this in the background plzthx?

* * *

One more day  
Hauling shipments of cargo on my XS alone  
It gets tiresome and dull all on my own  
Asteroids  
Passing outside the viewport as I gaze beyond the stars  
And it's like I'm looking out through steel bars

But there's a place I know  
With lights always aglow

Gimme gimme gimme some Nar Shaddaa magic  
If you've got the credits, it's the best place to play  
Gimme gimme gimme some Nar Shaddaaa magic  
Bright lights hold the darkness back all night and all day

Hutt crime lords  
Finance shady cantinas, with a fortune to win  
That could redefine the world I'm living in  
Cross the room  
I sit down at the table and I'm dealt into the game  
And the lure of credits sets my heart aflame

I can't resist this show  
It never lets me go

Gimme gimme gimme some Nar Shaddaa magic  
You'll run out of credits, but you'll still have to pay  
Gimme gimme gimme some Nar Shaddaaa magic  
There is always someone who can find you a way

Gimme gimme gimme some Nar Shaddaa magic…  
Gimme gimme gimme some Nar Shaddaa magic…

[DANCE BREAK!]

[Or possibly a choreographed bar-fight? *g*]

When you're dragged down below  
No one will ever know

Gimme gimme gimme some Nar Shaddaa magic  
Promises are worthless, you'll find to your dismay  
Gimme gimme gimme some Nar Shaddaa magic  
Crude humiliation now seems barely risqué  
Gimme gimme gimme some Nar Shaddaa magic  
Nothing is too sacred to give up or betray  
Gimme gimme gimme some Nar Shaddaa magic  
Once you've lost yourself, you'll find you can't get away…

* * *

Okay, so I originally imagined that as "Vacy has some fun on Nar Shaddaa" but when I looked at the rhymes and I started writing it kept getting darker and _darker _ and **_darker..._**

Reviews welcome, encouraged and adored, as always! ^.^


	5. Dreams of Flight

**"Dreams of Flight" ("Feed the Birds")**

* * *

So apparently the first thing I do is find a song that does a good job evoking a particular mood, and then thinking of what characters and situations it seems to "match." And where do you get lots of songs designed to set mood? Musicals, of course! _Mary Poppins_ is one of my favorite Disney movies, and it wasn't hard to find a song I could use.

[Also, I've always had a little crush on Bert, and some of his reprises of Chim-Chim-Cheree are simply amazing - "Winds from th'east... mist blowin' in / Like somfin' is brewin' an' 'bout to begin..." GOOSEBUMPS, I tell you. And I might also ship Bert and Mary, like, A LOT.

ANYWAY. *grin* Tangent over, I promise.]

Yesterday I was out and didn't have my laptop, so I wrote this one out on paper, and I'm kind of hoping that I'll be able to figure out my scratch-marks to see where I thought of one thing and then changed it.

You can find the original at (youtube watch?v=XHrRxQVUFN4). My version is Vette, right before she meets up with the PC. It might also apply to Vette _with_ the PC, if she isn't given her freedom! This is a lot more sentimental than we see her get, but I kind of think that's a facet of her personality that she keeps hidden – I really believe there's a strong underlying idealism and hopefulness, and a sense of justice.

* * *

When I open my eyes, there's a lingering dream  
Flitting past, like a bird in the dawn  
In the first light of day, it can easily seem  
I am free – but the dream is soon gone.

I could go anywhere, do as I choose  
Make a new life of my own  
Perhaps there's a family that's waiting for me  
And then I wouldn't be so alone

I survive, holding to dreams  
Holding, holding, holding to dreams  
I survive; that is my fate  
For while I live, it's never too late

Though the truth must stay hidden from those who control me  
I serve and I smile and obey  
But when I say "master," that word is a promise  
I'll make every one of them pay

So I wait, knowing someday  
Someday, someday, I'll fly away  
Like a bird, flying and free  
Someday  
Someday  
That will be me

* * *

Very much started with the Disney-Cinderella idea of waking up and still half-dreaming, and of course Vette would be dreaming about freedom. The birds motif came later, when I was working on the last section – I still had issues with lines two and four all the way back at the beginning. My first thoughts were that before she really wakes up, she's forgotten that she's a slave, and so for those first few moments she thinks she's free before she remembers where she is and what's happened. For line 2 I had "that makes me forget what I am" or "that makes me forget I'm a slave" and I couldn't come up with a line 4 I liked that matched. So I kind of went, 'meh, screw it!' and went on to the rest! ;D

The second section is a little sad but not dismal, so in my head it played out that she's fully awake, but remembering her dream of freedom keeps her hope alive. So lines 3 and 4 there seem sad to us, because all she has is the _hope_ of a family, but for Vette, that's better than nothing at all. The only changes I added were rhythm and pretty basic – "make" instead of "create," and line 4 didn't originally have the 'and' at the front.

Then in the third section, she reveals that her hope is what keeps _her_ alive in a seemingly pointless existence. Pretty straightforward. I originally had 'clinging to dreams' but that conveyed desperation where I wanted patience.

The fourth section – which I guess is the bridge? – brings up the idea that freedom alone won't be enough; Vette wants justice, but knowing she isn't likely to get it, will settle for revenge. I originally had "grovel and serve and obey" but that seemed over the top. Line four was originally "I swear I will make them all pay," because I came up with that before line three, but then when I got it, "swear" seemed a bit repetitive coming right after "promise." So I adjusted line four.

The last chorus gave me trouble, because in the original, there's no rhyme at all, just repetition. It works there, because it's a lullaby, and the repetition is soothing and soporific. (I learned that word from the Peter Rabbit books!) But that wasn't what I was going for. Line 1 was originally "I watch birds, flying so free" and it has a big QUESTION MARK beside it, hahaha.

I tried a 1/3/2/4 rhyme scheme and it fought me quite a bit, so then I went for what I ended up with, the pair of couplets. In this case, having lots of choices for rhymes seemed to make it tougher. Did I want "Someday, someday, someday I'll be?" Or "Someday for me?" (NO.) "Someday, someday, I will be, too" brought in a whole _different_ cartload of rhyme possibilities. Ugh! I'm still not completely happy with the last line – I like ending on a strong word like 'free' but I couldn't come up with a line that had 'free' at the end without 'be' in front of it and I don't like the immediacy of that rhyme. I think it's a distraction. But it's minor enough that I'm willing to let it go!

I liked the idea of Vette watching birds; they remind her of her resolve to escape. In my headcanon, she is _not_ the sort to resign herself to a life of slavery! She will keep trying to get away until she succeeds, dies in the attempt, or her owners kill her for it. After I'd worked out the fourth verse, I got the idea to use the bird imagery as a parallel between the beginning and the end, so that the ending reflection would signal closure. I also liked that in the beginning, the bird connects more with the dream, like you're not sure if it's there or if it's just sort of a casual metaphor. And then at the end, though, the bird becomes a metaphor for her freedom. So the bird motif then connects with both dreaming and freedom, and thus unites the themes of the piece.


	6. How to Love

**"How to Love" – (Lil Wayne/Delilah)**

* * *

So Friday night I went for a walk shortly before sunset, and on the way home "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" came onto my playlist (yes, I am a HUUUUGE fan of ABBA) and it gave me the idea for the tagline for that filk. And then I heard this song (youtube watch?v=td8gitFuCBo) and I could totally imagine Corso singing this about/to Vacy. I love both versions, but the Delilah performance is _so intense!_ I love the focused passion there, and I think it really fits the way I see Corso.

* * *

Back when I first met you, I saw that you were precious  
Every day since then has proved that you're a blessing  
How you pull your shoulders back, always keep your head up  
Never show you're insecure

The folks who hand you credits treat you with derision  
Mistrust and bitterness seep into your decisions  
Can't say I blame you; it wasn't my intention  
To lose my heart so easily, to be the one listening

I know you had a lot of crooks try to figure you out  
So despite your luck, you've never learned about  
How to love  
How to love

You've had a lot of moments that didn't last forever  
Pretend that you don't care and that you'll settle for whatever  
How to love  
How to love

Oh, I just want you to know  
that you deserve the best and you're beautiful,  
It shines so bright inside your soul  
Baby, you're beautiful  
You're so far from the usual  
Mmm – how to love

To keep from getting hurt you've learned to guard your heart  
Won't you let me help you find a way to make a start  
How to love  
How to love

You had a lot of moments that didn't last forever  
If you find a way to, maybe we can learn together  
How to love  
How to love

* * *

So one of the things I realized as I was doing this is that in addition to keeping the rhythm of the piece, I like to keep some of the wording intact as well. I'm not sure why, to be honest.

I wrote it out on notebook paper so that I could see what I did. Sometimes it helped to skip a line that was giving me trouble and go on to whichever one it matched with for rhyme and then go back to it. Other than that, this one was pretty simple - I diddled with syllables, but there wasn't much more. 'Suspicion' was a rhyme option I played with for 'decisions' but I ended up liking 'derision' more. In that last section I also tried out 'But you're not alone' as the beginning of the line that ended up with 'make a start' but I couldn't make it fit. So I just tried a couple other phrases until I found one that fit.


End file.
